The SANDICCA Sea Buckthorn Gardens in Joglland
Longitude: 15.798688
Latitude: 47.451235
The gently mountainous region of Joglland in northeastern Styria, already described by Peter Rosegger in Waldheimat, is home to the SANDICCA Sea Buckthorn Gardens, located at an altitude of 840 metres and covering around 2.7 hectares. Three key factors guarantee the quality of the sea buckthorn cultivated there: the geological composition of the sandy bedrock soil, the many hours of sunshine that allow the valuable secondary plant compounds to mature, and the sufficiently cold nights during the summer months, which give the sea buckthorn its high vitamin C content and its typically fruity aroma. Optimal precipitation conditions and the nature-oriented manual work carried out in the SANDICCA gardens also contribute to the flourishing of this unique crop.
Pioneering achievement in Austrian sea buckthorn cultivation
SANDICCA operates the first and only sea buckthorn gardens in Austria. Around 5,500 sea buckthorn plants grow in our SANDICCA Sea Buckthorn Gardens. We use two varieties that, as two-year-old, small shrubs, adapted well to the sunny yet harsh mountain climate of Joglland. Thanks to a relatively high proportion of male plants, which are necessary for the berries to ripen on the female plants, our sea buckthorn thrives optimally.
Since 2013, we have been intensively involved with the sea buckthorn plant: with its specific requirements regarding soil composition and climate, as well as its partly untapped potential in terms of its various components. This holistic approach—from cultivating the plant and refining the raw materials to returning unused plant components to the natural cycle—guides everything we do.
Sea buckthorn is regarded as a pioneer plant. Its creativity in dealing with adversity, its initiative and zest for life, and its determination to prevail against the forces of nature are characteristics that also shape us at SANDICCA as Austrian pioneers in sea buckthorn cultivation—and that we have adopted from the sea buckthorn plant.
